Podcasts Other The Mike Hosking Breakfast Christopher Luxon: Prime Minister on his visits to Fiji, Nuie and the lack of funding for cancer drugs in the 2024 Budget

Christopher Luxon: Prime Minister on his visits to Fiji, Nuie and the lack of funding for cancer drugs in the 2024 Budget

Published: June 3, 2024, 8:17 p.m.

Last week\u2019s Budget announcement had National break one of their campaign promises.\xa0

Christopher Luxon says he understands people's frustration with the lack of funding for cancer drugs in last week's Budget.\xa0

National campaigned on spending about $280 million on 13 treatments in last year's election but was unable to include it in the Budget.\xa0

The Government says it's now working on a plan to fund the medicines.\xa0

The Prime Minister told Mike Hosking that the delay to funding is regrettable, but it's the result of the situation the Government has inherited from the last government.\xa0

He says $1.8 billion of Pharmac funding had been switched off, which the Government had to switch back on again.\xa0

Luxon's visiting Fiji and Niue this week, his first visit to the region as PM.\xa0

He says the Pacific is an important part of New Zealand's foreign policy. \xa0

He will meet with his counterpart in Fiji during a trip which will have significant trade and economic focus. \xa0

Luxon told Mike Hosking that it's a chance to build rapport with Niue. \xa0

He says Fiji is a chance to talk more about the security and economic interests we share.\xa0

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